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Europe & Eurasia
EU Institutions
EU Parliament begins its 10th mandate
The European Parliament was officially constituted on July 16, following the June 6-9 European election, kicking off the first plenary session of the 10th...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Policies on Deforestation Show Europe’s Internal Splits
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once famously asked the question “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” to highlight...
Defense & Security
NATO Summit: “Trump-proofing” Ukraine support while Biden appearances under a microscope
The July 9-11 NATO Summit was originally envisioned as a celebration of the alliance’s 75th anniversary at the organization’s founding venue in Washington D.C.,...
Energy
Russia failing to replace lucrative European gas deliveries with sales to China
Russia’s attempts to build the Power of Siberia 2 (PS-2) natural gas pipeline to China appear to be stalling despite repeated statements from Moscow...
International Organizations
Astana SCO Summit reaffirms its growing geopolitical role
The 24th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), chaired by Kazakhstan, took place on July 4...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Uzbekistan: A Key Player in the (Central Asian) Great Game
Uzbekistan has had considerable success in attracting billions of dollars of aid, concessional debt, and co-investment, which has helped transform the economy since 2017....
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Jeffrey Sachs: three times a traitor
An economist with an international reputation, Professor Jeffrey Sachs has increasingly raised his profile in the world media. A U.S. citizen, he accuses his...
Asia & Pacific
Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the U.S. condemn DPRK-Russia Cooperation
During his June 19-20 visit to Pyongyang, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty...
Interviews
European election results show EU is at an inflection point
A few days after the European Parliament elections, Marilena Raouna, Cyprus’ Deputy Minister for European Affairs, sat down with NE Global on the sidelines...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The UK Economy – Another Twist in The Tale
Around the world most nations have been trying to recover their financial strength and where possible find some growth. Above all, they have been...
Invasion of Ukraine
G7 Summit focuses on Ukraine support and shattering Russia’s wartime economy
Despite last week’s expert punditry (itself almost indistinguishable from AI) on the latest G7 decisions as exhibited by the “instant experts” on global issues...
Transport
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route platform launched in Astana
In a major step forward for regional transport coordination, Kazakhstan’s capital Astana hosted the launch June 12 of a new coordination platform for the...
Disasters and Reconstruction Initiatives
Berlin Ukraine Recovery Conference
Although partially overshadowed by urgent Ukrainian requests for emergency help with its immediate air defense needs, as well as political shockwaves emanating from the...
Europe & Eurasia
EU-Central Asia discuss security challenges, joint cooperation
The European Union and the five Central Asian Deputy Foreign Ministers discussed common security challenges and joint cooperation to deepen ties between the two...
Kazakhstan
U.S.-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue deepens political and economic ties
The sixth annual United States-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue (ESPD) was held in Washington D.C. on May 31.The U.S.-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue was...
Interviews
Interview: EU and Turkmenistan are getting closer
NE Global sat down exclusively with Sapar Palvanov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Kingdom of Belgium, also accredited as the head of the Mission...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan open path for integrating energy systems with the EU
On May 1, during the Tashkent International Investment Forum in Tashkent, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of cooperation on merging the energy...
Africa
Washington orders new sanctions against Russia’s Wagner Group in Africa
On May 30, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ordered new sanctions measures to counter Russia’s destabilizing activities in...
China
Xi challenges a divided Europe
After the May 5-9 visit of President Xi Jinping to Europe most of the political analysts in Brussels who argued that the Chinese President's...
Azerbaijan
COP29 in Azerbaijan to focus on peace, climate finance, green issues
During this year’s United Nations climate conference COP29, host-country Azerbaijan will strive to act as a bridge-builder between all members of the international community,...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Good news – the UK is not in recession; Bad news – it doesn’t feel like it
One of the greatest problems that both economists and politicians face is the key element of communication. Yes, they may indeed be trying to...
Democracy & Human Rights
U.S.-Kazakhstan dialogue on human rights and democratic reforms continues
The United States and Kazakhstan convened the third annual U.S.-Kazakhstan High-Level Dialogue on Human Rights and Democratic Reforms on May 20 in Astana, focusing...
Interviews
Tackling new threats to critical energy infrastructure
The explosions that targeted the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia to Germany in September 2022 and the suspected sabotage of Baltic-connector pipeline, which supplies...
Democracy & Human Rights
Georgia’s “Foreign Representatives Law” moves forward amid protests
On May 14, Georgia’s parliament approved (84/150) a hotly contested law on “Transparency of Foreign Interests” regulating the amount of aid local civil society...
North Macedonia
North Macedonia: Resuming course towards the political dark side?
As most analysts predicted after the strong showing of the nationalist presidential candidate in the first-round presidential elections on April 24, VMRO-DPMNE (Internal Macedonian...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
A Green 5+1, regional water issues in Central Asia and previewing next year’s Astana International Forum
Kazakhstan’s Astana International Forum (AIF) has been postponed to 2025, as Astana is diverting financial resources to assist the relief efforts after massive flooding hit several regions....
Environment
Navigating the climate challenges for COP29
The impacts of climate change have become more evident as greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from human activities cause increased heat, drought, floods etc. Changes...
Environment
Uzbekistan to mobilize investment in environmental protection, sustainable development
NE Global sat down for an interview, in the Uzbek capital, during the 3rd Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) with Aziz Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan's Minister of Ecology,...
Europe & Eurasia
EU welcomes Azerbaijan-Armenia peace treaty talks in Almaty
The European Union has welcomed the agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia to hold talks at the foreign ministers’ level to finalize negotiations for a...
Russia Sanctions
New wave of U.S. sanctions target Russia’s foreign suppliers and industrial base
On May 1, the U.S. Department of State together with the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a wide-ranging new list of anti-Russia sanctions covering an...
Refugees & Migration
EU sharply reduces visa access for Ethiopians
Citing the lack of Ethiopian cooperation to facilitate repatriation of citizens deported from EU member states, the EU Council announced on April 29 a...
North Macedonia
North Macedonia veers sharply to the right in presidential vote
On April 24, nationalist presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova trounced incumbent center-left President Stevo Pendarovski in a multi-candidate election, setting the stage for a runoff...
Kazakhstan
UK and Kazakhstan deepen strategic cooperation
During a visit to Astana, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu signed a Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, opening...
Sanctions and related policies
New sanctions ordered following Iran’s April 13 missile and drone attacks against Israel
Following Iran’s massive, but ineffective, missile and drone strikes against Israel April 13, the United States and the United Kingdom announced their new sanctions...
Interviews
Wider Middle East regional conflict must be avoided
In a moment of growing tensions in the Middle East, NE Global sat down for an interview about the Iran-Israel crisis with Giuseppe Manna,...
Democracy & Human Rights
Kazakhstan: New law to protect women and children against domestic violence
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has recently signed key legislation largely criminalizing domestic abuse, ensuring women’s rights and safety of children which has been hailed...
Democracy & Human Rights
G7 Italy 2024 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on Addressing Global Challenges, Fostering Partnerships
The text of the following statement was released by the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the...
Disasters and Reconstruction Initiatives
U.S.-Ukraine Partnership Forum focuses on engaging the private sector in Ukraine’s Recovery
On April 17, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and USAID, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted...
Disasters and Reconstruction Initiatives
Kazakhstan focuses on flood recovery
Sweeping across Central Asia, massive floods wreaked havoc in multiple regions of Kazakhstan, leaving thousands of people homeless. The floods are the worst the...
Democracy & Human Rights
The empty seat in Strasbourg
When the newly elected European Parliament convenes this year on July 16 there will be an empty seat in the plenary hall within the...
Russia Sanctions
U.S. and U.K. take new steps to reduce Russia’s revenue from metals
On April 12, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, in coordination with the United Kingdom, issued two new prohibitions in order to disrupt the...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
COP 29: Azerbaijan takes the spotlight
The next global climate conference, COP 29, will occur in November in Baku, Azerbaijan. The gathering is essential to continue discussing and developing strategies...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
EU-Armenia-U.S. High-level Meeting: A Critical Moment for the South Caucasus
On April 5, an EU-Armenia-U.S. trilateral meeting was held between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and U.S....
Minerals, Mining and Rare Earths
EU, U.S., Uzbekistan and other partners strengthen critical raw materials cooperation
The European Union, the United States, and other Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) partners, joined by Kazakhstan, Namibia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, officially launched the Minerals...
Nuclear
The influence of Russia’s nuclear industry steadily expanding in Turkey
Turkey's decision last month that Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom will build the country’s second nuclear power plant, most likely at a site...
Democracy & Human Rights
Kyrgyz “Foreign Representatives Law” enacted amid criticism
On April 2, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov announced that he had signed a hotly contested bill that allows authorities to register organizations as "foreign...
Transport
The Schengen Zone expands conditionally, for air and sea travelers
Europe’s passport-free Schengen Zone took an important step forward on March 31 with the partial inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria. Travelers arriving in the...
Kazakhstan
Pro-nuclear leaders push atomic energy to cut CO2 emissions, boost security of supply
A global push to expand nuclear power continued recently as world leaders from more than 30 countries and the European Union met at the...
The Negroni Diaries
With Sweden now a NATO member, what’s next?
Sweden completed the necessary diplomatic formalities on March 7, depositing its instrument of accession with the U.S. State Department in Washington, which manages the...
Economy & Business
Inaugural B5+1 Forum launched to boost regional trade and investment
On March 13-15, government policymakers, business leaders, experts, and investors from C5+1 countries inaugurated the first-ever Business 5+1 (B5+1) Forum which was held in...